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"Cid?" I asked our Trandosian friend coming up to the bar.
"What's up tiny?" She asked.
I made sure the others had dispersed and weren't paying much attention to me at the moment before asking "Do you know a General Kota?"
"That ol'grump? Yeah I know him. What's it to ya?" She replied giving me a look.
"Well, I'm trying to find someone, for Echo" I told her.
"Then why that old sour puss?"
"He may know where to find the person"
"First off, kid. There's no telling where that old fart is. Especially since the Empire took over. Second off there's a good chance he could be dead like the other Jedi" Cid explained.
"No there's not" I countered
"Oh? And why do you think that?"
"He didn't like clones" I said "He was one of the few Masters that didn't Command a Clone battalion"
Cid looked at me surprised. It was just a general deduction from what little Echo told me and from the rosters I was able to look at while still on Tipoca City before all of this. "That's a bold claim there kid."
"But you know it's true"
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I know where he is now….who exactly are you trying to find for cyber punk over there?" She asked crossing her arms over her chest.
"Someone he and his brother considered a really good friend." I replied "...I think he said her name was Onasi?"
Cid looked really scared at that. "Forget it kid." She waved me off, turning to tend the bottles behind the bar.
"But Cid…"
"I said forget it. You ain't finding that one. They don't want to be found, so they won't be found" She said
"But it's for Echo" I pleaded, hoping that might sway her. Echo was one of her favorites. I could tell. He was always polite and she didn't have to yell at him as much as Wrecker.
"No"
"But"
"Go play some Dejarik and forget about finding Onasi" She said, it was the final answer from her.
I hopped off the stool and sulked over to Hunter, Echo and the others. "Wus the matter kid?" Wrecker asked as I sulked to the door.
"I need some air" was all I said before heading out.
"Don't wander too far from the Parlor." I heard Hunter say.
"Only going to the Marauder!" I called back.
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I sat against Gonky on the ship. Cid knew something. But what? Did she know where Thera was? Did she actually know where Kota was? What wasn't she telling me? What didn't she want to tell me? "AAARRRGGHHH!!!" I yelled out.
"That is a good way to release tension," AZ said from his corner. His battery was still charging. Thank goodness for Crosshair.
"Gonk gonk gonk" Gonky agreed.
"It doesn't make sense you guys!"
"What exactly mistress Omega?"
"I mentioned Echo's friend Thera and Cid clammed up like she were some kind of sickness." I explained knocking my head against Gonky.
"What is their name again?" AZ asked "I may have something in my database on them"
"Of course! Oh AZ I forgot about asking you!" I exclaimed sitting up and crawling over to my old friend. "Echo said her name was Thera Onasi, but she could also go by a name that starts with SH"
AZ's eyes flickered as he searched. There had to be something. "What are you doing?" I froze at the voice behind me. It was Hunter. I turned to look at him to give him some sort of explanation.
"Thera Onasi, also goes by Thera Shan. A member of the illustrious Shan family and descendant of Jedi Grand Master Satille Shan. Currently under the other Family name Onasi due to REDACTED INFORMATION."
"Redacted?" I exclaimed "No!" I could feel Hunter's eye boring into my back.
"Omega?"
"Yes?"
"What's going on?"
"Cid already told you?"
"In a way, but not the whole story" he said sitting down.
I told him what Echo had told me and then about the exchange with Cid. He just sat there and listened. Like he always did. He regarded the information. I could see it roll around in his head as he processed it. "I've heard of the General, not so much of Thera."
"Cid kept calling him names"
"Heh, I heard he could be a hard ass, but beyond that we never worked with him" Hunter laughed at the thought of Cid and her names for the General.
"But I just want to do something good for Echo. And if it helps everyone else then why can't it be done?" I asked starting to feel down.
"Just because Cid said drop it doesn't mean you have to Omega." Hunter put a hand on my shoulder "AZ what was Thera's last known location?"
"Inside a set of Ancient ruins, basement sub levels, Korriban" We both looked at AZ. We didn't recognize the name of the planet.
"Korriban?"
"Where's that?"
"It is a planet along the outer rim. Uninhabited for over 3 millenia" AZ recited the information from his databanks.
"What would she be doing there?"
"Dunno, but it sounds like it's a good piece of recon for your mission" Hunter said with a warm smile.
"What should I do now?" I asked, he was the leader.
"Your mission, your call."
"OK. I'll see what else I can get out of Echo. You get with Tech and see what else we can find out about Korriban." I said running through everything in my head.
"What about Wrecker, don't want him to be left out"
"Wrecker…can distract Echo when he isn't busy"
"Easy enough. I'll relay the orders" Hunter smiled and gave me a pat on the head. We walked out of the Marauder and back to Cid's.
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"All right, all right! Just settle down will ya?" Echo laughed as I insisted he be the one to tell me a story tonight before they made me go to bed. I let him get up in the gunners nest first and followed gathering Lula and Shiny.
"Did you and Fives ever go back to see her after your Arc training?" I asked still bubbling with energy. Wrecker and I had had an extra helping of Mantel Mix before everyone decided to settle down for the night.
"We did, a couple times. I snuck off once or twice by myself too" he said rubbing the back of his neck.
"Really? I thought you and Fives did everything together?" I teased
"Fives is our brother and I love him but sometimes I just needed time away, ya know. Sort of how you have your own little place up here away from us." Echo explained. "I also had a small crush on Thera"
"Really?!"
"Ssshhh!"
"Did you two ever sneak off from the temple?"
"Only to the lower levels"
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"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked looking around at the old under belly of Coruscant.
"Of course I'm sure. I've been down here more than I've been off world" Thera said casually inspecting a valve. "Besides, I needed help helping the Gree fix a few of these and you just happened to be walking into the archives."
"Lucky me" I said coming up next to her "Need help?"
"Maybe" She said hanging upside-down from the valve that just wouldn't budge.
"You're not very strong…..ugh!...for a jedi" I said helping her turn the valve.
"Not a jedi" She said as the valve came loose and turned easy.
"You carry a light saber. Two in fact." I said as she moved passed me to the next valve.
"I know."
"Can't you use the force or whatever it is you do?"
She stopped resting her hand on the valve. She looked as if she were thinking about the answer and shook her head. "Its not that easy Echo"
"How do you mean?" I grabbed the other side of the valve.
"Most of my known family are Republic Intelligence. An old branch known as the SIS. We aren't force users anymore. Not since my grandfather Theron." Thera explained as we turned the valve together. "The council just keeps us around just in case we can use the force. And because it would be an insult to my Grandmother Satille to just cast out her family just because they can't use the force. The council finds uses for us if we don't want to go into being a Republic officer."
"Thats…."
"It's fine Echo. Our family history is not exactly a good one so...I don't mind it."
"You don't sound like you don't mind it"
"Can we drop it, please?"
"...ok. dropping it" I said. "How many more of these? What do they do exactly?"
"Two more and they keep the planet from overheating I think." Thera said, looking around as we walked to the next valve.
It was amazing to see part of Coruscant's under belly even if we never got to see a Gree. After we turned the valve we were met with a peculiar looking protocol Droid. They thanked us on behalf of the Gree. Something about black by sector and green overlay?
Once we made it back to the basement level of the temple we sat and chatted for sometime. I had a little while before I was to meet Fives at 79's. "Thera!" A small voice came from behind us. We both looked back to see a small Padawan with shocking red hair run up to us. They were followed by a rather large Zygarian.
"Hey Cal!" Thera exclaimed, scooping up the little one. "What are you up to today?"
"Got my crystal, and Mater Topal and I are going to meet our Clone battalion" he sounded very excited.
"Master Topal?"
"Good afternoon, Ms. Onasi. Arc Trooper" The zygerrian bowed his head slightly and gave the small boy in Thera's arms a warm smile.
"Good afternoon Master."
"General!" I gave him a salute.
"He insisted on seeing you before we left. Said the force wouldn't let him leave without doing so" General Topal said of the young one.
"Well he is one of the better younglings to have force sense. You have a good Master in Master Topal, Cal." She explained to Cal setting him down.
"I know...what are you doing down here?" Cal asked looking passed up into the dimmed lower levels.
"Just helping the Gree with a few things."
She said "Arc Trooper Echo was lending me a hand before he met up with the rest of his squad."
General Topal regarded both of us. I stood there nervous, hoping he wouldn't question further. "We'll be meeting with the Iron Legion and heading out shortly." He said putting Cal on the head.
"Good men" I finally piped up.
"I will take your word for it. Padawan, if we're done here, have much to do" he said
"Of course Master. May the force be with you Thera" Cal waved at us before leaving with his Master.
"May it be with you. Good luck, be good!" She called after them.
We watched them disappear into the upper levels. Thera let out a heavy sigh and sat back down. She had Kota as a master, I guess I still didn't understand. I don't think I ever would understand. "You all right?"
"No. But I will be. I have to be" She said, bringing her knees up to her chest. "Go meet up with Fives before he and the other come making a ruckus."
"You wanna come with?" I asked hoping to get her out of these dank and dusty walls.
"No, I have some catalogs to go through before Master Wynn comes back." She lied. I wouldn't press her if she didn't want to. I gave her a pat on the shoulder before turning to leave.
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"That was the last I saw her. Last I remember after that was the Citadel, a flash of light then waking up to Rex's face" Echo explained. I watched from under my covers. It wasn't fair his last memory of his friend ended sort of sad.
"You didn't try to see her or find her after you joined the others?" I asked.
"I did. When I got through on her channel in the temple Kota had answered" he said "Saying something about she wasn't there anymore. They had started to send her off on expeditions to old jedi worlds."
"You still think she was at the Temple when the order came down?" I asked.
"You know I want to think that. But I can't help the what if? Ya, know? What if she came back as the order came down and she got caught in all that mess? What if escaped, what if she stayed to help what if…?" Echo said, waving his good hand around.
"I think she made it out" I said.
"....then you can hope for me. How bout that?"
"I can do that" I smiled up at the oldest of my brothers.
"Maybe it'll rub off on me. One day." He smiled and stood up. I could hear the cracking in his spine. "Kriff!"
I couldn't help but laugh at him as he leaned back to make more popping noises from his back. It made me cringe but it was funny to see him act as if he were the oldest of all of us. "Think that's funny eh? Just wait til it happens to you" he groused pointing his scomp link at me threateningly.
I laughed some more pulling Lula and my trooper close. That story had made me tired, and it didn't even have any action in it. "Good night Echo"
"Good night ad'ika" I could feel my eyes droop as he patted my head and climb down to the main cabin. The lights were turned off and my curtain dropped. I could hear him talking with the others. Hopefully Hunter and Tech had something on Korriban in the morning.